China's Military Has No Combat Experience: Does it Matter?China's military has an impressive high-tech arsenal, but its ability to use these weapons and equipment remains unclear. The one asset that the People's Liberation Army lacks is combat experience. But there is no consensus—either within Chinese military circles or among foreign analysts—on how much it matters.Read more »

Five Challenges Facing Trump’s MilitaryBy Rebecca Kheel, The Hills: “But the military is facing a number of challenges, from continued efforts to restore readiness after years of Washington’s budget dysfunction to work on fulfilling Trump orders such as standing up Space Force.”

U.S. Navy: Ballistic Missile Subs or 355 Ship FleetBy John Grady, USNI News: “The Navy could be forced to make hard choices sooner rather than later when it comes to finding the money to replace its aging ballistic missile submarines or reach its goal of having a fleet of 355 warships.

Before the Engagement:Mapping Social Media for Civil Military OperationsBy David L. Harrell, The Civil Affairs Association: “Civil Affairs as a branch needs to continue to evolve within the civil environment by formally adding a social media analysis function to its extensive repertoire, critical to maintaining a more complete understanding of current culture.”

India has officially selected Russian firm Rosoboronexport as the winner for Indian Army’s $1.5 billion Very-Short-Range Air Defence, or VSHORAD program, after months of delays over complaints made by other competitors in the competition. – Defense News

Is IBCS Another 'Too Big to Succeed' Army Program?By Dan Gouré, RealClearDefense: “IBCS is going the way of other Army mega-modernization programs. By the time the acquisition bureaucracy can define requirements, organize a program and develop the necessary funding plan and schedule, technology and the military environment will have changed.” ​

Leon Panetta’s Nightmare Is Today's National Security CrisisBy Dov S. Zakheim, The Hill: “Responding to a request from Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta outlined, in the most dire terms, the consequences of Congress’s failure to reach an agreement on deficit reduction.”

More than three decades ago, Michael D. Griffin was at the center of the military’s “Star Wars” initiative, working to realize President Ronald Reagan’s dream of shielding the United States from Soviet missiles. Now the 69-year-old scientist is back at the Pentagon as its top technology official, looking to revive some of the same missile defense concepts. – Washington Post

CHINA:
Avic's J-31 Fighter Is a Winner After AllBy Bradley Perrett & Stephen Trimble, Aviation Week: “Not long after the J-31 fighter prototype from Avic's Shenyang Aircraft Corp. appeared in 2012, analysts realized that it was not, after all, a new combat aircraft for the Chinese military.”

Andrea Gilli and Mauro Gilli write: The China Airshow in Zhuhai is the annual exhibition that China uses, for both political and commercial reasons, to display the progress of her aerospace capabilities. […] The bulk of the attention, however, went to the mockup of a new stealth drone, the CH-7, that resembles Northrop Grumman’s XB-47B demonstrator. […] Some commentators even concluded that, with this new achievement, China has already passed or will soon pass the United States in next-generation unmanned aircraft technology. – War on the Rocks

Why Airpower Needs LandpowerBy Jahara Matisek & Jon McPhilamy, Modern War Institute: “In 2014, Air Force Magazine published an article in which the author proclaimed “Airpower has eclipsed land power as the primary means of destroying enemy forces.””